With the industrial development, user interface systems have been variously developed to allow users to operate slave robots or virtual graphics (hereinafter referred to as “avatar”) as intended in virtual environment/augmented environment/remote environment.
Human fingers have the capability of precise movements and are sensitive to tactile stimuli, and are thus widely used as means to drive interface systems.
In these interface systems, avatars to be controlled and environment in which the avatars operate are not a space in which users cannot experience in person, and accordingly devices for providing users with tactile feedback are devised for more realistic and accurate control.
The tactile transmission device according to the related art generally creates a tactile sensation on a finger by transmitting the output of an actuator such as a motor to a linkage, and applying a force to a distal part putted on the finger through the linkage.
However, the tactile transmission device according to the related art often takes the form of external skeleton including the wrist and the hand such that the actuator is positioned at the back of the hand or the wrist and the output of the actuator is transmitted to the finger.
According to this conventional configuration, it is not easy to put on and take off, and wearability and users' mobility is poor. Furthermore, the device is intricate and has relatively large volume and weight, resulting in a significant reduction in usability and portability.
In addition, there is a limitation in constructing realistic interface systems due to limited types of tactile sensation that can be expressed.